In one technique for three-dimensional image reconstruction, a number of images or image sets of an object are captured with a camera that travels in a path over the surface of the object. When the camera path becomes broken, either due to intentional interruption by a user or due to an inability to couple new, incoming data to an existing three-dimensional model, it may be desired to continue scanning for a reconstruction by reattaching to the existing camera path. While generic three-dimensional registration is conceptually possible in order to relate a current view from a camera to one or more existing frames of image data in an existing camera path used for a reconstruction, this approach becomes impractical when the three-dimensional model is formed from hundreds or thousands of frames of image data including millions of surfaces or three-dimensional points.
There remains a need for improved techniques for finding a good match for a current camera view from among many existing frames of image data.